Comedian Todd Glass, who appeared on the second and third seasons of NBC's Last Comic Standing and has appeared regularly on Louie, Tosh.0, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, and Politically Incorrect, came out as a gay man today on an episode of WTF with Marc Maron.

After a bit of banter, Maron told viewers the 47-year-old comic was on his podcast to say something important. Glass joked that he's there simply for self-promotion, then Maron responded, “I thought you were gay." He suggested Glass say it himself.

“I have a very hard time saying that,” Glass said, according to LaughSpin, which first reported the news. “And don’t get this wrong. I don’t want anyone to be ashamed of who they are — especially younger people. I always hated using that term and that’s partly why I’ve always been sympathetic to people who don’t [want to be labeled certain things]. I hate that word. But I like it better than the other word — homosexual.”

Glass, who has been with his partner for 15 years, says a lot of people already know. He came out to his parents 15 years ago, his best friend Jimmy Dore has known for years, and he told friend Louis C.K. a few months ago.

“I’m saying what a lot of people already knew,” he said. The main reason Glass, who is incredibly well-respected among working comics, decided to come out is the growing sense of guilt he feels over LGBT youth suicides. “I cannot listen to stories about kids killing themselves any longer and not [think], When are you going to have a little blood on your shirt for not being honest about who you are? I can’t do this any longer.”